Persuasion
by homesweethomicide13
Summary: Madara is recruiting members for the newly-founded Akatsuki organisation, but Kakuzu just doesn't seem to be interested... Slight MadaKaku.


**Title: **Persuasion  
><strong>Author:<strong> homesweethomicide13  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Slight MadaKaku  
><strong>Warning:<strong> Mentions yaoi, some mild gore, some profanity  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I so wish.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Madara is recruiting members for the newly-founded Akatsuki organisation, but Kakuzu just doesn't seem to be interested… Slight MadaKaku.

**Persuasion**

He worked by moonlight, sheltered on three sides by thick trees that stretched up towards the heavens, their leaves long since dead, leaving behind ghastly, twisting branches that resembled the claws of a great beast. A wide, open plain spread out away from the trees, a shadowed expanse of nothingness upon which the moon shone its light.

With the precision of a surgeon, he pushed the tip of a kunai into the flat chest of a young male shinobi, and slowly split the skin from collarbone to navel, ignoring the thick blood that bubbled to the surface. The body was cooling quickly in the night air, despite the kill being relatively fresh, and the blood was already showing signs of congealing within the veins. Without even blinking, he set the kunai aside and gripped both sides of the fresh wound between his fingers, tearing it open until he'd created a bloodied crevice. Satisfied, he gave a short nod.

A black tendril slithered out from the sleeve of his coat and wriggled its way into the crevice, feeling around inside. After a moment, several more tendrils followed the path of the first, probing into the wound, widening the tear. He allowed himself a cold smirk as he heard the harsh snap of bone, and then the tendrils were retreating – bringing with them a bloodied lump of tissue and muscle. Wiping drying blood from his fingers, he lifted a hand and pulled open his coat, slipping it off his shoulders. The tendrils snaked around to his back, carrying the heart they'd removed from the body in front of him.

To anyone watching, it would appear that the skin on the man's back was pulling away from his body, having been held on by a series of thick stitches crisscrossing around four fearsome faces. The stitches had loosened, revealing more of the odd tendrils, and the heart was slowly disappearing into a mass of wriggling blackness beyond. After a moment, the tendrils retreated, and the skin was quickly sewn back together.

He shrugged back into his coat, and stood up, brushing himself off as he glanced down at the body below. The tendrils that had removed the heart snaked down, and quickly closed the gaping crevice in the man's chest, leaving behind a line of stitches – almost a mockery of an autopsy cut. He did up his coat and bent, picking up the body and slinging it over his shoulder. He'd taken all of three steps before one hand shot out, and the kunai buried itself in the trunk of one of the trees.

Dual-coloured eyes narrowed, focused on the darkness beyond the tree. A low chuckle sounded, and a man stepped out into the dim light. His face was covered by a large hood, but one eye was partially visible. A devilish grin was spread across the man's face, and he leant back against the trunk of the tree he'd been lurking behind.

"I was under the impression you plucked them out with your own hands." The voice was smooth, and casual, but held hints of danger. "I wasn't aware you were so delicate with the process, Kakuzu." Those oddly coloured eyes narrowed further at the mention of his name, and he shifted into a defensive stance, ready for a fight if necessary. The voice was familiar to him, somehow, though he could not place it. A man who'd lived as long as he had _would_ have trouble placing a voice – how many thousands had he heard in just the last decade?

"Sometimes I like to take my time and do it properly. Now, since you clearly know enough about me to have my name and abilities memorised, you'd know that you stand in a very dangerous place right now." He warned coldly, shifting the weight of the body.

"Relax. I am not here to fight you." The one eye that Kakuzu could see gleamed with something dark and mischievous. From where he stood, he could just about pick out the colour – rich, dark crimson. Something about the colour rang familiar, but again he could not place why. "I am here to make you an offer. A man of your calibre would prove rather useful, and if I am to understand your interests, you may find it worth your while."

"I do not accept offers from cloaked strangers." He growled, getting irritated already. Whoever this man was, he had about three more minutes before he risked death. The man laughed now – a short, harsh laugh – and Kakuzu frowned. He'd definitely heard that laugh before. He put two and two together, and guessed that he'd come across this man at some point in his past, and had spent enough time around him for him to make a lasting impression – either that, or it had been a very memorable one-time meeting.

"It is interesting to see how a man does not change, even after so many years upon this land." The man went on. "You are still the suspicious man I remember, though not so arrogant any more."

"So, we have crossed paths before." Kakuzu murmured, intrigued now. "And who, exactly, am I conversing with?" The man stepped further into the light, and shook the hood from his head. Kakuzu took in the appearance all at once – and placed the face to a name. "Well, now this is a surprise." He lifted an eyebrow and fought back a smirk. "The years haven't been very kind to you, Madara."

"I may have met with misfortune in years gone by." Madara shrugged one shoulder, keeping his eyes focused on Kakuzu. "But if we're on the subject of outward appearances, I do not remember you resembling a child's ragdoll before." Kakuzu's eyes narrowed sharply at the remark, and he fought the urge to lift a hand to the stitches on his face. He wished, just for a moment, that his mask hadn't been ruined in that last battle.

"An unfortunate consequence." He muttered darkly. "So, the great Madara still lives. Last I heard, you'd died at the hands of your long-term enemy, Senju Hashirama, at the Valley of the End. I never took you for a coward who would run and hide, though I am curious as to how you still live after all these years." Madara's eyes narrowed into a glare.

"Rich words from someone who ran back to his village with his tail between his legs after failing to defeat the very same man." He hissed, letting his anger get the better of him for a moment. Kakuzu felt his own anger flare up, but forced it down to a simmer. Engaging Madara in combat wasn't in his best interests right now. He needed to dispose of the body (and collect the bounty on its head) and leave the area before the man was reported missing.

"It was run, or die. Since I'm standing here before you now, I think I made the right decision." He shifted the weight of the body again, feeling irritation rise up over the anger and settle behind his eyes in the form of a light headache.

"Clearly." Madara drawled, and Kakuzu couldn't quite tell if he was being sarcastic or not. Not that he cared, of course. "Still, you've become quite the shinobi ever since your failure. Stole the forbidden jutsu from your village, slaughtered the elders, and have since been living off the hearts of strong ninja. Those mask creatures of yours are rumoured to be quite fearsome."

"Get to the point. I have a bounty to collect." He did _not_ have time for a catch-up session with Madara.

"I'm here to offer you an opportunity of a lifetime." Madara crossed his arms over his chest, a confident air surrounding him as he smirked. "I'm currently leading an organisation – from the shadows, of course. I've managed to push a powerful young man with a fragile mind into the spotlight, and I'm sure he believes he's in control, but I'm the puppet master manipulating the strings." He shrugged. "I intend to capture the tailed beasts, and take control of the entire shinobi world. Of course, I need reliable, powerful subordinates in order to achieve that goal. I've already managed to round up a couple of useful men…" Crimson eyes met Kakuzu's, and the ex-Takigakure ninja knew exactly what was coming next. "I want you to join them."

"World domination?" Kakuzu murmured, unimpressed. "Really? Sorry, not interested." With a shrug, he turned and began walking away. This time, he actually allowed himself a small smirk as he practically heard Madara's jaw drop in surprise. He felt a chakra signature flare up, and stopped walking just as Madara appeared in front of him.

"Allow me to finish, Kakuzu." He sounded annoyed. Kakuzu gained a little satisfaction from that. "If you were to accept my offer, and become a member of my organisation, you would have… privileges." He nodded at the corpse. "You're a bounty hunter, right? You like both the kill, and the money you receive for it. You would have better access to the bounties you like to collect."

"I am doing perfectly well as it is." He side-stepped, and carried on walking. "Look elsewhere, Madara. I'm not interested in becoming your subordinate." He expected Madara to follow him, but instead he felt the familiar chakra signature flare up again, and then disappear suddenly. With a roll of his eyes, Kakuzu quickened his pace, wanting to collect his fee as soon as possible. "For a man of his age, he sure acts like a spoilt child when he doesn't get his way."

-x-

With the corpse in his hand exchanged for a briefcase full of money, Kakuzu left the exchange point and headed back to the small town he'd passed through, intending to spend the night in the inn he'd spotted along the way. More than anything, he wanted a nice, hot shower – he'd been travelling for days now in search of this latest bounty, and he definitely needed one.

The inn was fairly cheap, which pleased him, and the room was actually clean and reasonably sized. He stripped off his coat and set the briefcase down, and then headed to the small bathroom, intending to have that well-deserved shower. He found his mind drifting to Madara as he stood under the hot spray, and wondered how the man had managed to beat death. He'd heard about the Uchiha-Senju battle only months after he'd turned his back on his village, and had dearly hoped that the bastard Hashirama had been killed – only to be disappointed later when he learnt that it was Madara who had fallen.

He'd met Madara a few times before that battle. Though their paths had only crossed by coincidence – they certainly hadn't sought each other out – they'd both acknowledged the other as both an enemy and a useful contact. Together, Kakuzu knew, they'd be a pretty tough team to beat.

His mind wandered to the offer Madara had made. The sound of an organisation plotting to take control of the world wasn't exactly appealing (or original) to him, but the resources it could lend him would be an advantage over his current position in the world. He was a hunted criminal, highly dangerous, and easily recognisable. If anything, the organisation would serve as some sort of protection – not that he needed protecting – and would make collecting his bounties a lot easier, that was certainly true. But the idea of being another man's subordinate (again) put him off – especially since his superior would be a man of equal skill. Besides that, from what Madara had told him, he was only the leading man to those in the know. The outside world believed this younger man to be the mastermind behind the organisation – and that meant it would be believed that the great Kakuzu was accepting orders from a man half his age.

As he dried off and pulled on his black capris, he spared a thought for the men Madara had already managed to coerce into joining the organisation. They must be powerful, or useful, if Madara had sought them out himself. Criminals, more than likely, given the nature of the organisation. They'd need to be strong if capturing the tailed beasts was to be anywhere near possible. He probably knew them, be it in person or simply from the bingo book. There wasn't a criminal in existence that Kakuzu didn't know about.

Shrugging off such thoughts, he put a hand on the doorknob, but paused before he opened the door, using his chakra to feel out the room beyond. With a sigh, he pulled it open and strode out, a towel draped around his neck.

"You know, some people would class this as stalking." He murmured to the man spread out on the bed. He pulled the towel from around his neck and quickly rubbed it over his dripping hair, before tossing it aside. Madara sat up, a smirk on his face.

"What can I say? I'm stubborn."

"I'll give you points for determination." Kakuzu muttered, turning to face him, arms folded over his bare chest. "But you have about thirty seconds before I decide to show you out through the window."

"If you want to pick a fight with me, I'll be all too happy to oblige." Madara shrugged it off like it was nothing. "But hear me out first." Kakuzu considered his options. On one hand, listening to the fool would certainly shut him up. On the other, he really didn't have the energy to sit and listen to him go on about his plans for world domination, which would almost certainly be ruined. But neither did he have the energy to deal with a pissed off Uchiha.

"Fine. Talk." He growled. "But you'll leave the second you're done. It's your choice if it'll be voluntarily, or not." Madara rolled his eyes, but accepted that it was the best he was going to get from Kakuzu.

"In order to achieve my goals, I need a team of powerful shinobi to aid me. I've already recruited Hoshigaki Kisame, Uchiha Itachi, and the Sannin Orochimaru, as well as an interesting specimen who may very well prove useful when the time comes." Kakuzu knew every single one of those names – who didn't? Kisame was one of the Seven Swordsmen, Itachi was the infamous murderer of the Uchiha clan, and Orochimaru… enough said. He hated to admit it, but he was a little impressed. "I'm intending to seek out Akasuna no Sasori, too. In fact, I have quite the list of possible recruits – but only ten of the very best will be selected."

"Am I supposed to feel flattered that you consider me one of the very best? Because I don't." Kakuzu cut in dryly. Madara ignored him, and went on.

"You have a very rare ability, Kakuzu. You'd be a great asset to the organisation. Plus, you have a secondary skill that would be greatly appreciated." When Kakuzu simply raised an eyebrow, Madara gestured to the briefcase. "Finances are always a problem with organisations. With your avid interest in bounty hunting, you'd bring in a lot of money, and since you're so good at managing the money itself, we'd never be short of it. You'd be paid for the missions you'd be sent on, and paid well. You'd have access to more money than you do at this present moment."

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Kakuzu interrupted, again. And again, Madara ignored him.

"The organisation members are teamed up in pairs, to increase performance skill. You'd be partnered with someone who compliments you in battle."

"I work alone." He held up a hand before Madara could carry on. "I've heard what you have to say Madara, and I can assure you my answer is the same. Not. Interested." He expected Madara to jump up, angered, and allowed the Uchiha to slam him against the wall, one arm pressed against his throat.

"You're declining for the sake of it, Kakuzu." Madara growled, fire in his eyes. He wasn't pressing hard enough on Kakuzu's throat to cut off oxygen to his lungs, but he knew it would be uncomfortable. "I _need_ you." Kakuzu raised an eyebrow.

"No need to make things personal, Madara. I thought this was a job offer, not a sexual advance." The dry remark was worth seeing Madara's face flush a light shade of red – two parts anger, one part embarrassment. He smirked a little, satisfied, and took a moment to appreciate what he believed was a victory. His smirk faltered, however, when Madara smiled a little, and stepped closer, pressing their bodies closer together.

"Is that what it takes to get you to accept, Kakuzu?" He murmured, his tone completely different. "Because, you know… it's been a while for me. It'd be nice to get a taste of the pleasures of man, again." Kakuzu shifted, uncomfortable now. As a man who liked to be in control – thrived on it – he was _not_ liking how this was turning out. "Tell me. Those stitches… are they _everywhere_?" He knew he could escape this situation easily – Madara wasn't exactly applying much force, and his threads could easily restrain him for long enough for him to put some distance between them, but… his body wasn't responding the way he wanted it to.

It had been a while for _him_, too, now that he thought about it. Sexual pleasure wasn't something he indulged in frequently, especially since he knew his unstable anger would likely end up in him cleaning up a mutilated corpse. Madara wasn't typically the type he'd go for – if he even _had_ a type – but a body was a body to someone who hadn't been touched for so long. And it was clear that both of them were desperate for the touch of someone else.

It took all of three seconds before they were roughly kissing and pulling eagerly at clothing.

Madara's shirt was torn from his back and tossed to the floor, the tendrils responsible for the action snaking around his hips and drawing him in closer. Madara growled, breaking the kiss to latch his teeth on the stitches across Kakuzu's cheek, biting sharply. Kakuzu dragged blunt nails down Madara's spine as he backed him up towards the bed, his threads working on removing the man's trousers, and his own. When they fell back onto the bed together, it was almost impossible to tell where one ended and the other started.

-x-

The scent of sweat and sex hung in the air around them as they lay sprawled on the bed in a satisfied heap, limbs tangled, hair plastered to their faces, bodies slick, chests heaving with every gasping breath they drew in. Neither of them spoke for a long time. Neither of them knew what to say. Finally, Kakuzu broke the silence.

"So… this organisation. Does it have a name?" His tone was light, casual, but Madara smirked and lifted his head to meet the other man's eyes.

"I believe they're calling it 'Akatsuki'." He shrugged. "Nagato and Konan's choice."

"Nagato is the fragile mind you mentioned earlier, I presume?" At a nod from Madara, Kakuzu sighed, and ran a hand through his damp hair. "I cannot believe I'm saying the words, but… I'm in." He closed his eyes to avoid looking at the smug grin he knew would be plastered all over the Uchiha's face. "Anything else I need to know?"

"There's a requirement for clothing attire. Since you wear such a long coat already, I assume the cloud-emblazoned, high-collared coat won't be a problem for you. There's also a straw hat involved – Konan's idea, I have no doubt – but it's mostly optional. I know Kisame and Itachi favour them." He paused. "One other thing."

"Hm?"

"You're required to paint your nails." Kakuzu cracked one eye open, and it glared furiously at Madara.

"Now you're just trying to humiliate me." Madara laughed a little.

"As much as that may amuse me, Konan has a way with Nagato that bends him to her will. It's part of the uniform, Kakuzu. Get used to it." He sighed, and rolled onto his back. "You _will_ be partnered with someone, you know." Kakuzu scowled.

"Well, don't get pissy when I inevitably kill them." He muttered. "There's a reason I work alone."

"There will always be a replacement in line, Kakuzu. Kill your partner, and we'll just give you another one."

"And I'll keep killing them." He turned onto his side, his back to the Uchiha. "Only way to stop me is to find one I _can't_ kill." In the dim light of the room, Madara grinned.

_Challenge accepted._

-x-

Several years later, Madara was sitting in his room at one of the Akatsuki's temporary bases, going over the plans for world domination, when the door suddenly disintegrated into several splinters.

He glanced up and smirked a little at the man standing over the remains of the door – maskless and coatless, hair tangled (and boy did he want to run his hands through it and give it a good tug), and eyes alight with rage.

"I can't kill him! I can't fucking kill him! You stick me with the world's most annoying little shit in existence and he's fucking _immortal_!" Madara tried to hide his grin, but it was difficult.

"… You've met Hidan, then, have you?"

* * *

><p><strong><em>Author's Note:<em>**_ So originally this idea didn't have MadaKaku in it. It just sorta... happened. XD_


End file.
